Pneumatic control device for player planos



July 31, 1923.

.0. E. WALL PNEUMATIC CONTROL DEVICE} FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed March 23, 1921 A TTORNEYS VENTOI? 0.3. M11,

WITNESSES [Q f" M41 Patented July 31, 1923.

UNITED STATES ORMOND EDGAR VTALL, OF HONOLULU, TERRITORY OF HAWAII.

PNEUMATIC CONTROL nnvron roa' PLAYER PIANOS.

Application filed March 23, 1921. Serial No. 454,663.

T 0 (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be'it known that I, ORMOND E. \VALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Control Devices for Player Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to player pianos, and more particularly to the pneumatic control of various mechanical or pneumatic features of pianos of this type eflected by means of apertures 01": a note sheet registering with apertures of the tracker board. I

It is common to control various portions of a player piano through pneumatic means of the above nature wherein the active control isaccomplished while the aperture of a note sheet is in registration with the tracker board control opening and then only, ne essitating either an elongated slot in the note sheet or aseries otclosely spaced control apertures in case the partsare to be held for any considerable length of timein the controlled or actuated position.

My invention aims to overcome the necessity of either slots or closely spaced apertures, both of which materially, weaken a note sheet particularly as in most instances the control is effected by slots or closely spaced openingsadja ent to the side edges of the note sheet, and my further object is to do away with this disadvantage by an arrangement which will be simple and inexpensive and will be instantly responsive and effective in use.

A still further object is the provision of an arrangement in which by the. simple ad dition of a single tracker board opening various pneumatic control devices may be actuated, eachheld in active position after actuation, and selected ones or all of them returned to normal position with the use of but single apertures in a note sheet.

In theaccompanying drawing which illustrates my present invention and forms a part ofthis specification,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of theapparatus proposed by my invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2- of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on line 33 of Figure 1. I

Referring now to these figures and particularly to Figure 1 I have shown a tracker board at 10 over which a note sheet 11 passes, and I have shown at 12 and 13 a pair of operating pncumat'ics which max be located at various points in a player piano to control-the movement of parts as for in stance the shifting of independently movable sections of a hammerrest rail for expression purposes. The invention contemplates various uses of the pneumatics 1321s well as the use of such, pneumatics in varicontrol of an external valve 18 shiftable vertically between the upper end of this opening 17 and a downwardly opening suction cup 19 spaced above the box 16 for a purpose to be presently described.

The upper chamber 15 of each control box communicates with its intermediate or main suction chamber 20 through an upright channel 21. around the upper end of which a valve 22 is normally seated in the chamber 15 by gravity, this valve having a stem and a lower head 23 controlled by a flexible diaphragm 24 disposed between the intermediate or main suction chamber 20 and the lower chamber 25 which is in communication with a channel 26 between 'which and the main suction chamber 20 is a bleed port 27. Channcl'26 communicates with a tube 28 leading to one of the tra ker board openings 29 and 30 and al communicates with a tube 31' leading to the suction cup 19 previously described.

The valve 18 movable between the suction cup 19 and the upper end of the atmospheric port 17 is carried upon one end of an arm 32 secured at its opposite end to the movable leaf of a tripping pneumatic 38.

In Figure 11 have shown the two control boxes 16 of the two operating pneumatics 12 and 13 as double control box for while it is contemplated that the two operating pneumatics 12 and 13 may be situated at any desiredv point in a player action de pen-ding upon their particular use, it is for the purposes of this invention a considera tio that the several control. boxes 16 be located in juxtaposed relation so that the several tripping pneumatics 33 may be simultaneously operated through branches 34 of a suction tube 35 leading from the upper chamber 36 of a valve box 37.

As shown in Figure 1 the actuation or collapse of the operating pneumatic 12 is accomplished through the above described from the tracker board opening 30 and the operating pneumatic 13 is similarly effected from the tracker board opening 29, while the simultaneous collapse of the several tripping pneumatics 33 is controlled from a tracker board opening 38 connected by a tube 39 with the lower chamber 40 of the valve box 37 having a bleed port 41 in communication with the intermediate or main suction chamber 42. A diaphragm 43 between the lower chainber 40 and the intermediate chamber 42 controls through a stem 44 valves 45 and 46 within the upper chamber 36, valve 45 of which normally seats by gravity over the upper end of a vertical channel 47 com municating between the intermediate chamber 42 and theupper chamber 36, and valve 46 seating upwardly around a port 48 opening into the atmosphere from the upper chamber 36, which valve 46 is .normally' in unseated position with the valve 45 seated in the position shown in Figure 3,

In operation with the note sheet 11 closing the tracker board openings 29, 30 and i 38, the several tubes 28 and 39 leading from these openings are supplied with pressure below atmospheric through the bleed ports 27 and 41 from the main suction chambers 20 and 42 of the control boxes 16 and the valve box 37, which main suction chambers 20 and 42 have a constant vacuum therein sup plied through a suction supply pipe 49 from any suitablersource as for instance a main suction chamber or reservoir 50 as shown in Figure 1. The partial vacuum in the tubes 28 will of course be communicated to the tubes 31 leading to the suction cups 19, the latter supported by a bridge piece 51 secured at its opposite downturned ends to the control boxes 16. With the fact in mind that this suction in the tubes 31 and consequently the cups 19 is insufiicient to shift the valves 18 upwardly against the cups 19 it is obvious that in order to place the parts in proper condition for operationthe note sheet 11 'must' be provided, at or near its position corresponding to the beginning of play with an opening 52 adapted to register with the tripper opening 38 of the tracker board 10. Immediately upon registration of these openings atmospheric pressure finding its, way into the t'ube 39 and into the lower chamber 40 of the valve box 37 permits suction in the mainv suction chamber 42 ofthis valve box to draw the diaphragm 43 upwardly and unseat valve 45 above the connections 35 to the several tripper pneumatics 33,

simultaneously collapsing the latter and pulling the valves 18 upwardly against the suction cups 19 to their open positions so that the suction then existing in the suction cups will thereafter hold the valves 18 in upper open positions after the parts of the valve box 37 have resumed their nor-'- mal position shown in Figure 3 when the -i note sheet opening 52 has passed the tracker board opening 38.

Bearing in mind that while the valves 18 are in upper open position which is, during operation, their inactive position, and that both of the operating pneumatics 12 and 13 are thusin communication with the atmosphere 'through their tubes 14 and the atmospheric ports 17 of the control boxes 16, it is obvious no actuation of these pneumatics can be had until note sheet openings register with either of the tracker board apertures 29 and 30. As shown inFigure 1 the note sheet may have an opening 53 following the opening 52 and in alinement with the tracker board opening 29 and it is obvious that when opening 53 registers with tracker board opening 29, atmospheric pressure will belet into the respective tube 28 and the valve 18 of the respective control box 16 will thereuponvdrop to closed position over the atmospheric port 17 of the op erating pneumatic 13. At the same time suction in the main suction chamber 20 of the control box of this pneumatic will draw the diaphragm 24 upwardly and thus unseat valve 22, placing the suction chamber 20 in communication with the operating pneumatic 13 so that the latter will be collapsed for the actuation of the part or parts it is intended 'to operate. -Having once been raised, it is obvious that the valve 22 cannot again lower veven when the note sheet opening 53 passes the tracker board aperture 29 on account of the fact that the respective "alve 18. having once been released by its suction cup 1.9 and permitted tovdrop, will thereafter remain in the lower closed position over the respective atmospheric port 17 until the tripper pneumatics 33 are collapsed by the opening of the tracker board aperture 38 to atmosphere which takes place when the note sheet opening 54 passes the tracker board. Following its openings 52, 53 and 54 the note sheet is shown with an opening-55 which results in collapse of the operating pneumatic 12 in the same way as previously described in connection with the actuation of the operating pneumatic 13 upon registration of the note sheet opening-53 with the tracker board,

ins

opening 29. Following the opening the note sheet has i an opening 56 to register with the tripper aperture 38 and thus restore pneumatic 12 to normal expanded condition.

It is thus obvious that when either of the operating pneumatics 12 and 13 is collapsed by the registration of a note sheet opening 53 or 55 with the tracker board apertures 29 or 30, suchpneumatic will remain col lapsed until such time as an opening of the note sheet registers with the tripper opening 30 0f the tracker board and it is quite obvious that as each tripper opening of the note sheet controls the several tripping pneumatics 33 it will restore any or all of the operating pneumatics to normal extended position which may have been previously collapsed. I have previously explained collapse of the operating pneumatics 13 and 12 and their successive return to normal position by the openings 53 and 5% and openings 55 and 56 of the note sheet and it will be observed that by means of the successive note sheet openings 57 and 58 both of the operating pneumatics 1:2 and 13 will be collapsed and remain so until note sheet opening 59 registers with the tripper opening 38 of the tracker board when both of the pneumatics will be returned to normal extended position.

In Figure 1 I have further shown the suction tube 35 of the tripper pneumatics 83 as extended beyond the double control box 16, and while it is to be understood that one end of this tube will in practice he closed, it becomes quite obvious that it may be extended to connect with the trippcr pneumatics of additionalcontrol boxes and that the device proposed by my invention is capable of automatic control of a plurality of operating pneumatics in any suitable or desired number, in such manner as to permit of holding each in collapsed position after actuation and following passage of its actuating note sheet opening past the respective tracker hoard aperture and until. actuation of the tripping device when any and allot the operatin pneumatics so actuated will be returned to normal position. It is understood that where several of the pneumatics are actuated and it is desired to trip only certain of these back to normal position, the tripping opening of the note sheet will be closely followed by note sheet openings to register and actuate those operating pneumatics it is desired to retain in actuated position.

I claim:

1. In a player action having a tracker board and pneumatics for operating movable parts thereof, note sheet controlled means for independently collapsing said pneumatics including suction tubes leading to the tracker board, a valve controlling communication of each operating pneumatic with the atmosphere which valve in its closed position holds the pneumatic in collapsed position, a suction cup adjacent each valve for normally holding the latter in open position, a suctiontube extending between each suction cup and one of the said suction tubes leading to the tracker board whereby each valve will be released and permitted to closewhen its respective operating pneumatic is collapsed, tripping pneumatics for raising the valves into engagement with the suction cups, and note sheet controlled connections for simultaneously actuating the said tripping pneumatics.

2. In a player action having pneumatics for operating movable parts thereof. note sheet controlled means for independently collapsing said pneumatics, a valve for each pneumatic shiftable into closed position upon the collapse of said pneumatic to hold the same in collapsed position, tripping pncumatics for shifting the said valves to open position, note sheet controlled connections for simultaneously actuating the several tripping pneumatics, and means for normally holding each of the atmospheric valves during operation in open position until its respective operating pneumatic is collapsed.

In a player action having pneumatics for operating movable parts thereof. an exhaust closing valve for each pneumatic shifta into closed position when the respective pneumatic is collapsed, note sheet controlled means for independently collapsing said pneumatics having suction connections holding the said valves in open position during operation, and note sheet controlled means common to the several pneumatics for simultaneously shifting the said valves from closed to open position.

ORMOND EDGAR- l ALL. 

